Land Rover Discovery 4
Discussion
After many months of umming and ahhhing, on Friday evening I picked up my new car, a 2011 Land Rover Discovery 4 SDV6 HSE, which if it wasn’t for the fact it’s been mostly debadged would probably be one of the longest boot badges in the automotive world...
To say I’m over the moon is an understatement - it seems to be a really nice example, in a good spec. It’s also the first time I’ve spent “proper” money on buying a car. It had a recon engine 10,000 miles ago (currently on 111000) and the inlet manifold was done in March. Has also got a fresh mot on it!
Thankfully, it doesn’t seem as slow as I feared it might be. It’s nowhere near my 530i for speed, but by no means embarrassing. Which is handy as it is replacing the E39.
Anyway here’s a pic, wife loves it as well - she asked me to swap with her countryman. No chance!!
One niggle so far - the tachometer needle doesn’t illuminate so you can’t see it at night. I’m sure there will be more but hopefully few and far between and relatively inexpensive...
To say I’m over the moon is an understatement - it seems to be a really nice example, in a good spec. It’s also the first time I’ve spent “proper” money on buying a car. It had a recon engine 10,000 miles ago (currently on 111000) and the inlet manifold was done in March. Has also got a fresh mot on it!
Thankfully, it doesn’t seem as slow as I feared it might be. It’s nowhere near my 530i for speed, but by no means embarrassing. Which is handy as it is replacing the E39.
Anyway here’s a pic, wife loves it as well - she asked me to swap with her countryman. No chance!!
One niggle so far - the tachometer needle doesn’t illuminate so you can’t see it at night. I’m sure there will be more but hopefully few and far between and relatively inexpensive...
Edited by Triumph Man on Saturday 29th May 21:57
Thanks chaps, will definitely have to sign up to the forum. A good owners forum is worth its weight in gold!
Interesting about the plate and it being possibly ex Land Rover.
And a pic of our first “tailgate picnic” this was up on Salisbury plain after I’d just paid to have the car cleaned. As we were sat eating 8 serious off-roader types pulled up in their defenders and a Range Rover. They must have thought I was a right prat in a clean disco!
Going to go back up there when it’s a bit dirtier and have a play though!
Interesting about the plate and it being possibly ex Land Rover.
And a pic of our first “tailgate picnic” this was up on Salisbury plain after I’d just paid to have the car cleaned. As we were sat eating 8 serious off-roader types pulled up in their defenders and a Range Rover. They must have thought I was a right prat in a clean disco!
Going to go back up there when it’s a bit dirtier and have a play though!
Great cars. I have a discovery 3, bought because I always fancied one and decided I would have one, but only for a year.... now into my third year with it. Occasionally my head starts to overrule my heart and I decide to sell but my wife and children always make sure I don’t as they love it too.
When I find the right Discovery 4 then it will go, but until then I am happy enough.
One thing though, always be prepared for expensive running costs, they are pretty well documented in the likely things to go wrong, and most things are expensive - but so long as you go in with your eyes open then you will forgive it.
When I find the right Discovery 4 then it will go, but until then I am happy enough.
One thing though, always be prepared for expensive running costs, they are pretty well documented in the likely things to go wrong, and most things are expensive - but so long as you go in with your eyes open then you will forgive it.
Nice work, enjoy! I've had two, a 3 and now a 4. I wouldn't touch a 5 with Timmy Time's. I think JLR lost the Americanised plot with the current iteration, thankfully the New Defender will see off many purchases and eventually kill it off. Apart from ex-pats over here the Australians hate them, that's why I'm loyal to a British legend and won't touch the white mobile fridges they call 4x4's here.
I always wanted a Disco 4 and took the plunge with a 4 year old HSE Lux 18 months ago, it lasted 25 mins! Lunched the turbo the first time I opened it up a few miles from the dealers!
Some very poor pre sales treatment by the dealers then the failure saw me get my money back, they gave me a Disco 5 for a month while they took forever to pay me back and I absolutely loved it!
i guess I was just unlucky, Is it wrong that i still want another one!?
Some very poor pre sales treatment by the dealers then the failure saw me get my money back, they gave me a Disco 5 for a month while they took forever to pay me back and I absolutely loved it!
i guess I was just unlucky, Is it wrong that i still want another one!?
Well….
Didn’t think I’d be updating this again. Just got the car back from an engine rebuild. Hopefully the car will be ok now!
A slow but relaxing drive back from London ensued (running in so limited in speed and engine revs). Being a bit of a yokel I don’t really go up to London much, and it was a new experience going on the tube on my own.
Not wishing to tempt fate, the only new issue with the car seems to be that the nsr door now doesn’t want to open! When I do the running in service Ill get the garage to look at it.
Didn’t think I’d be updating this again. Just got the car back from an engine rebuild. Hopefully the car will be ok now!
A slow but relaxing drive back from London ensued (running in so limited in speed and engine revs). Being a bit of a yokel I don’t really go up to London much, and it was a new experience going on the tube on my own.
Not wishing to tempt fate, the only new issue with the car seems to be that the nsr door now doesn’t want to open! When I do the running in service Ill get the garage to look at it.
Triumph Man said:
Well….
Didn’t think I’d be updating this again. Just got the car back from an engine rebuild. Hopefully the car will be ok now!
A slow but relaxing drive back from London ensued (running in so limited in speed and engine revs). Being a bit of a yokel I don’t really go up to London much, and it was a new experience going on the tube on my own.
Not wishing to tempt fate, the only new issue with the car seems to be that the nsr door now doesn’t want to open! When I do the running in service Ill get the garage to look at it.
Crikey, what happened? Didn’t think I’d be updating this again. Just got the car back from an engine rebuild. Hopefully the car will be ok now!
A slow but relaxing drive back from London ensued (running in so limited in speed and engine revs). Being a bit of a yokel I don’t really go up to London much, and it was a new experience going on the tube on my own.
Not wishing to tempt fate, the only new issue with the car seems to be that the nsr door now doesn’t want to open! When I do the running in service Ill get the garage to look at it.
Nice dirty job on the Disco today - sidesteps were crunching and seemed completely rotten, so replaced with new items. Most of the dirt seemed to fall on me, and there was a lot of it! Not a pleasant job (and it rained) but the steps are now safe and don’t make the car look like a henhouse anymore.
Got a bit of a creak from the front end, which anecdotally may well be arb bushes. I’ve got a set in my garage waiting to go on, as well as new drop links. I was going to do them today but I ran out of motivation after having 11 years of mud fall on my face and it was raining.
Still, nice small victories!
I’ve now owned the car for nearly a year - mot due in a couple of weeks.
I also recently ( I say recently, a few weeks or so ago!) also treated it to a clay bar, machine polish, and wax. It looked really rather good, although it’s a bit dirtier now!
It did look pretty good if I do say so myself, and the Buckingham blue colour really does look nice when clean and in the sun.
It did look pretty good if I do say so myself, and the Buckingham blue colour really does look nice when clean and in the sun.
Edited by Triumph Man on Monday 16th May 16:05
alfabeat said:
Looks great. I'm on my 2nd set of running boards - they really are made of chocolate (59 plate).
What happened to the engine to require a rebuild?
They do throw the odd tantrum, and wallet-busting bill, but are still fantastic cars.
Yes I suspect these were on there from new. They were becoming a bit of a hazard! Plus it was dropping rust wherever parked - not a good look. What happened to the engine to require a rebuild?
They do throw the odd tantrum, and wallet-busting bill, but are still fantastic cars.
The oil pump seized suddenly and without warning with inevitable consequences. Currently going through the Motor Ombudsman to claim the cost of repairs from the Warranty company (I purchased an aftermarket warranty soon after buying the car). As it's an "active" case I'm not going to go into details as yet I'm afraid...
I do love the car though, hence why I had the engine rebuilt - there is something about them. Shame they weren't available with the TDV8 engine!
Edited by Triumph Man on Tuesday 17th May 11:31
Anti roll bar bushes done (by me) to cure an annoying squeak, and fresh mot, which marks a year of ownership! There was a time I didn’t think I’d get to a year of ownership….
Next thing I think is diff and transfer box oil change, as well as fresh engine oil (6000 miles since the last oil service) plus belt tensioner as there is a little squeak/chirrup at idle
Next thing I think is diff and transfer box oil change, as well as fresh engine oil (6000 miles since the last oil service) plus belt tensioner as there is a little squeak/chirrup at idle
Edited by Triumph Man on Saturday 28th May 19:21
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